Inferi
by Dorminchu
Summary: The world around them is deserted, but they are not alone.


Shiver Star is pretty, in a somber kind of way. The skies are grey, the plains white and frozen over. Even the enemies seem dull, both in countenance and color. At first, it seems like the world is just going to be cold and barren, but they soon come to discover that it's been touched by civilization. Only the buildings remain to greet them, silent monoliths in the quiet winter.

The closer they get to these structures, the more the air tastes of stagnance and rust. Kirby seems undeterred, and Ribbon is privately jealous of his ignorant bliss while he and Waddle Dee have fun steering their latest treasure - a run-down, rickety sled that Dee salvaged from one of the buildings - through waves of bewildered enemies. She sights their first crystal atop a snow-covered hill, positioned right before a pitch in the land's elevation. She shouts for them to jump. The velocity ensures that they vault over the pit, catching their prize with ease, but the sled bounces violently upon landing, and both Ribbon and Kirby flinch. Waddle Dee is too busy enjoying the rush of adrenaline.

She recovers just in time to hear a shriek, and looks up to see the snow-covered rock jutting out of the ground, right in their path. The sled overturns, sending them all catapulting forward. She and Kirby are lost in the powdery flurries and when they come to a stop, find themselves within an igloo. The entrance collapses behind them. She realizes Waddle Dee is not with them. Ribbon hopes he's made it out safely, but there's no time to ponder the fate of their friend, because there is another miniboss inside waiting for them.

A giant Chilly bears down upon them, brows drawn together in a comical display of wrath. Kirby looks quickly to her, then produces a bomb from his mouth, and her relief must show on her face, because he grins before turning to hurl the weapon straight into the snowman's face. It doesn't take kindly to this, raising its stubby arms, creating a barrier of ice and snow that sends them flying, but the abundance of snow cushions their landing. To cap it off, a flock of Frigis burst from the snow around them, twisting and turning in various shapes around the snowman, too frozen to make a sound.

Kirby already has another bomb ready.

In the ensuing minute or so, they make quick work of their remaining opponents, and the igloo is filled with steam. Ribbon flits around the room, sweat coating her skin, eyes peeled for a glint of blue. Then she spots it, calls out to Kirby, and he breaks the ice around their second crystal shard with a final bomb. They get what they came for, but it also has the effect of bringing the structure down over their heads.

The two make their exit hastily.

Outside, the snow is no longer wet. It doesn't really feel like snow at all, anymore. It's silver, slippery and more powdery than anything. Cool rather than icy. No enemies rush to greet them, but Ribbon knows better than to assume they aren't just around the corner.

Yet in the absence of tangible distractions, she finds time to scold herself; for all Kirby's spectacular fighting ability and intuition, he's only a child. He doesn't feel the weight in the air around them like she does, the pressure in her gut that serves as a constant reminder of the eyes watching them as they sleep. Dark Matter's presence prevails, now more than ever, and he feasts on discontent and petty thoughts like these. But Kirby is a champion of all that is good, a hero of purity and innocence. Was that, after all, not why she'd chosen him to accompany her all those moons ago?

In time they come to a river. The ice is melting here, as well, and they can see water flowing. There's another crystal shard beneath them, but no visible way to reach it; the thickness of the ice impedes their progress any further. The rocky foundations they scale are none too sturdy, and Ribbon rejects the suggestion of tossing another bomb for fear of setting off some kind of reaction. Perhaps the stone will crumble beneath their feet like hard-packed sand in the face of the ocean's waves. Or maybe it will be perfectly fine. She doesn't want to consider the alternatives.

She descends first and motions for Kirby to follow her. To her surprise, he jerks oddly when he touches down on the thick layer of ice between him and their prize as though it's likely to rise up and swallow him whole.

"Kirby?"

He jolts. He's never been this jumpy. Surely he's not afraid of water? He can't be, certainly not after Aqua Star.

Ribbon sighs. "Are you going to get it?" He stares at her blankly. "The crystal," she elucidates.

He blinks a few times, then his eyes light up. "Oh!" he exclaims, a little too loudly to be natural. "Yeah, the crystal! Sure thing, Ribbon."

But he looks very uncomfortable as he walks over to a sizeable crack in the ice. He inhales, shakily, then exhales, before looking back to her with a feeble grin. And he dives.

She is struck immediately by his concentration, or lack thereof. He swerves randomly around natural obstructions; halfway to the goal and he is already panicking. Ribbon scowls. Is this some new trick of Dark Matter's? But there is no time to consider this. Something is terribly wrong. Kirby has just touched the crystal when he freezes up, fumbles blindly around and kicks off toward the surface with an urgency like he's drowning. Perhaps he is not as disillusioned with panic as she believes; for all his skittishness, he has little problem finding an escape from the water.

"Kirby!" she cries out when he resurfaces. "What happened? Are you okay?" _Did you get it_ , is what she wants to ask, selfishly. He won't look at her. Wordlessly, he raises his stubby little arm, presenting the brilliant blue crystal for her inspection.

* * *

The clouds are simultaneously a welcome change and a mixed bag. The precipitation leaves her wings heavy and the altitude leaves her woozy, and ensures that she stays by Kirby's side for fear of falling. On the other hand, Ribbon is pleased to note that Kirby's mood has improved. She wonders if he's just pretending to be fine. But he doesn't cringe once. He doesn't even look disappointed when she tells him they'll have to come back to get the last crystal. He just shrugs and nods. And she knows then that he really is going to save her people: his heroism rings true. Relief sweeps upon her, then, overwhelming, and she almost cries with the beauty of it.

Kirby asks if she's okay, and she only nods. Stoicism comes oddly to her.


End file.
